Anko in the Dark

Watching Obito Uchiha look as if he were suffering from constipation, Kakashi Hatake felt a bit concerned for him and spoke indifferently, "Do you need some paper?"

"If you do, Rin and I have some to spare."

Obito Uchiha: "..."

"You two, what are you talking about?" Rin Nohara turned around from the front. "If we don't hurry, Mrs. Kawashima is going to get anxious."

The two immediately ended their conversation and quickened their pace to catch up with Rin Nohara.

"Obito, what were you and Kakashi talking about just now?" Seeing the two catch up, Rin Nohara asked curiously.

Obito Uchiha was instantly at a loss for words.

Truth be told, it was impossible for him to deal with Nebula Kotetsu, so he made up a random excuse.

"It's nothing, I was just telling Kakashi about some interesting things that happened recently."

"Interesting things?" Rin Nohara asked curiously, "What kind of interesting things? Tell me about them."

Obito Uchiha hurriedly tried to think of any interesting news in Konoha lately, and after a moment of thought, he actually found one!

"Rin, have you heard? A weirdo has appeared in Konoha recently."

"A weirdo?"

"That's right, a weirdo!"

"Why do you say 'a' weirdo? Were there already some before?"

"You're right about that." Obito Uchiha nodded. "I heard that every day before dawn, a weirdo in green clothes acts suspiciously on the outskirts of Konoha."

"This situation has been going on for many years."

Kakashi Hatake's footsteps suddenly lightened.

"Some people also say it's a freak from the Ninja Academy who exercises outside the village every morning."

As he spoke, he looked at Rin Nohara. "Rin, have you ever heard of this freak?"

Rin Nohara shook her head.

Obito Uchiha continued, "I don't think that's it either."

"But recently, it seems the number of weirdos isn't one anymore; it's become two!"

"One of them occasionally lets out hair-raising, strange screams."

"Recently, some people have already reported it to the Police Force."

Rin Nohara said in surprise, "Really?"

"You aren't just making this story up, are you?"

Obito Uchiha became anxious immediately. "How could I!"

"Rin, how could I possibly lie to you? It's really happening!"

"I heard from the elders in my clan that the Police Force really did receive this report and is preparing to investigate."

The two chatted away, not noticing that Kakashi Hatake, standing to the side, had a somewhat dazed look in his eyes.

Listening to Obito Uchiha's dramatic account, a familiar green figure appeared in his mind.

"Kakashi! I want to challenge you!"

"Thanks for the support!"

The boy's bright white teeth seemed to flash before his eyes. He was certain that the weirdo Obito Uchiha was talking about was none other than him!

Might Guy!

But who was the other weirdo?

Another youth-obsessed freak? Or perhaps a clone of his?

Past memories kept surfacing. Thinking of the boy who was always chasing him for a challenge, Kakashi Hatake sighed in his heart.

"It seems it's been a long time since we last met."

"Once I'm done with this busy period, I should go see him..."

In the afternoon, the sun was just right.

On the streets of Konoha, which seemed to be paved with a layer of golden brilliance, Anko Mitarashi held several skewers of three-colored dango, eating them one by one.

However, even her favorite dango didn't taste as enjoyable as usual.

The reason for her unhappiness was her good friend, Yugao Uzuki.

Anko Mitarashi had noticed that her good friend had been acting strange lately.

She had asked for leave from school multiple times in a row—sometimes it was her grandmother who was sick, other times her mother had a fever, or it was her time of the month. Because of her excellent grades, the teachers didn't say anything, but Anko felt it was very suspicious.

Even when she didn't ask for leave, she would always be in a rush after school, as if she had some urgent business to attend to.

They were all too busy to keep her company.

"Yugao, shall we go get some dango after school?"

"Ah? Anko, I'm sorry, I have things to do tonight."

"Yugao, let's go catch butterflies tomorrow."

"Sorry, Anko, my father is going to teach me swordsmanship tomorrow."

"Yugao, shall we go find Nebula Kotetsu tomorrow?"

"Ah!... About that, Anko, why don't you go by yourself? I twisted my ankle during training last night, so I don't want to go out."

Just like that, for quite some time now, she hadn't been able to get together with her good friend.

What was even more frustrating was that she didn't know what was going on with Nebula Kotetsu either; he had been nowhere to be seen lately.

Looking at the last dango in her hand, Mitarashi Anko imagined it was Nebula Kotetsu and swallowed it in one "gulp."

"Hmph! I can't catch a glimpse of either of you, so annoying!"

Meanwhile, at the Valley of the End.

Clear springs bubbled, the splashing mist dispelling the sweltering heat in the air.

By the riverside.

A young man and a young woman moved gracefully, their long swords dancing in their hands to form shimmering blossoms of steel.

The scene was picturesque.

However, their movements were not fast; at times, their swords overlapped, their arms swinging in unison as if they were one person.

If anyone were to see them, they wouldn't think it was a sparring match, but rather a young couple showing off their affection.

"Ahem!"

"Yugao, why don't we... take a break?" In the brief moment their swords separated, Nebula Kotetsu proposed.

"Sure~" Uzuki Yugao replied with a light laugh, her sword flashing as she sheathed it.

Seeing Nebula Kotetsu heave a sigh of relief and find a flat patch of shade to sit on, she naturally moved over and sat down right next to him.

Nebula Kotetsu felt helpless.

"Yugao."

"Hmm?"

"It's quite hot, you don't need to sit so close."

"No, I don't feel hot."

"I'm sweating."

"No, you're not."

"Really, I'm covered in sweat; why don't we move a bit apart?"

"Nonsense, it doesn't smell at all, I think it's just fine."

"..."

Nebula Kotetsu shook his head with a wry smile.

Over these past few days, he had come to understand Uzuki Yugao much better.

Her straightforward way of expressing herself and her bold, aggressive gaze had drained a great deal of his energy and time over the last few days.

"Yugao, what made you think of coming here today?"

Uzuki Yugao looked up at him: "What, is this place not good?"

"There are mountains, water, and even the statue of the First Hokage."

Nebula Kotetsu shook his head: "It's not that it's not good."

"It's just that for the past few days, we've been constantly changing locations."

"The back hills, the Konoha training grounds, your house... and today, here."

"Isn't it troublesome to keep moving? I think your courtyard was perfectly fine."

A flicker passed through Uzuki Yugao's eyes: "Oh, what do you know."

"If we stayed in one place, who knows, we might get discovered by Anko."

Nebula Kotetsu: "So what if we get discovered? It's no big deal."

"No way!"

Uzuki Yugao said with a serious expression: "In any case, let's not tell Anko about us for now."

"Fine, have it your way."

Nebula Kotetsu didn't want to argue over such trivial matters, so he leaned back against the tree trunk, enjoying the midday breeze in the shade.

The scent of green grass and river water mingled together, making him feel at ease.

If only the ninja world could remain peaceful like this forever.

No strife, no slaughter.

Training, eating, planting flowers...

Just as I was lost in my imagination, the voice of Uzuki Yugao drifted into my ears.

"Xingyun, your hands are so much bigger than mine~"